Peter Skene Ogden

Who was Peter Skene Ogden?

Peter Skene Ogden, was a fur trader and a Canadian explorer of what is now British Columbia and the American West. During his many expeditions he explored parts of Oregon, Washington, Nevada, California, Utah, Idaho and Wyoming and despite early confrontations with the Hudson' Bay Company during his time with the North West Company, later became a senior official in the operations of the HBC's Columbia Department, serving as first Chief Trader of Fort Simpson and similar posts.

Ogden was a son of Chief Justice Isaac Ogden of Quebec and his wife Sarah Hanson. After a brief time with the American Fur Company, he joined the North West Company in 1809. His first post was at Île-à-la-Crosse, Saskatchewan in 1810, and by 1814 was in charge of a post at Green Lake, Saskatchewan, 100 miles south. Ogden married Julia Rivet/Reava, a Meti/Nez Perce. Ogden descends from a 17th-century British emigrant to the American colonies. His father & grandfather were loyalists during the American Revolution, his father relocated to England at this time, then later returned to British-run Quebec. One of Ogden's brothers, Charles Richard Ogden was a lawyer, politician, and public servant from Canada East.